Post-16 experts: "get on with it!"

Tuesday 28 January 2020

College of Further Education staff representatives have said any delays to Education's plans should not include stopping the roll out of the Guernsey Institute.

The Institute will see the College of FE, the Institute for HSC studies, and the GTA merged - a model the College of FE staff believe will be to the benefit of the island.

A statement has been issued by the University and College Union, representing lecturers and staff at the College of FE.

"UCU Guernsey cannot comment on the implementation of plans for the one-school two site model as our members’ operational expertise lies in post-16 education. However, we have full confidence in the professional judgement of our colleagues in the secondary school sector," a union spokesperson said, adding that they anticipate "clear communication and meaningful consultation with all parties in the near future will lead to a positive outcome".

Pictured: The spokesperson said the College was commenting on its area of expertise: post 16 education. 

It was the sub-optimal post-16 proposals which saw the original three school model collapse, and get replaced with the current, two school model. While Deputies Carl Meerveld, Andrea Dudley-Owen and Rob Prow are claiming to be leading a requête which will delay the implementation of that model, they have not proposed any alternative post-16 education system whatsoever. This is the argument Deputy Matt Fallaize, President of ESC, is making, and argued in a statement that the requête would just the see the can kicked further down the road.

This, the statement said, would leave the College of FE, currently dealing with "inadequate facilities", in total limbo. 

"In relation specifically to the plans for the Guernsey Institute (the merger of Guernsey College of Further Education, GTA, the Institute of Health and Social Care Studies), UCU can confirm that our members are in favour of what has been agreed in the States in relation to the formation and development of a facility to house the Guernsey Institute. They are eager for this element of the project to be implemented in line with the current plan or sooner."

Pictured: ESC has come under heavy fire in recent weeks for pursuing their plans. 

While those against the current Education model are criticising the chosen sites for not being big enough for the number of secondary age students allocated to each of them, the College of FE is already spread across three campuses, which staff say are inadequate.

"College of FE students and staff are currently housed in completely inadequate and under-resourced accommodation and spread across three campuses to the detriment of both student experience and financial efficiency," the spokesperson added.

"We are in some of the oldest buildings used by Education, which were condemned as not fit for purpose for secondary education. Necessary improvements have been delayed far beyond what is safe for users of College facilities. The faster we can move to a single purpose-built campus, the better for all students and staff."

Pictured top: The College of FE's staff support the current plans to create the Guernsey Institute.